Omar A. Rodriguez-Lopez

Composer, guitarist, and producer Omar Rodriguez-Lopez was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, in 1975. He spent his formative years in South Carolina and El Paso, TX, setting up camp in the latter and forming the hardcore band Startled Calf at the age of 15. He joined post-hardcore outfit At the Drive-In in 1993, a gig that lasted until the band broke up at the peak of its popularity in 2001. Rodriguez-Lopez formed the Mars Volta the following year, as well as an instrumental side project called the Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Quintet. He composed the soundtrack to Jorge Hernandez Aldana's El Búfalo de la Noche in 2005 and has released four solo albums - 2004's Manual Dexterity: Soundtrack, Vol. 1, the eponymous Omar Rodriguez in 2006, and Se Dice Bisonte, No Bufalo and The Apocalypse Inside of an Orange, both in 2007. Rodriguez-Lopez would continue his double releases in 2008 with Calibration and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Jeremy Michael Ward, a collaborative effort that was recorded prior to the formation of Mars Volta. Old Money, Megaritual, Despair, and Xeonphanes (which was sung completely in Spanish by Rodriguez-Lopez and his duet partner, the Mexican singer/songwriter Ximena Sariñana) all followed in 2009. The guitarist and composer contuinued his prolific pace in 2010 with the release of Solar Gambling, Cinzana De Los Amores and Tychozorente. ~ James Christopher Monger, Rovi

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I first heard of the mars Volta when Frances came out...they opened up for system of a down at the Pensacola civic center...they blew my head open...I've bought every single album he has ever done...there's no comparison. He is Mozart on DMT... He changed my life...keep it evolving Omar...you never let me down!!!

I too love the guy as a musician...However these solo records are always a little hit and miss with me...They have their moments but His work with ATDI and TMV is more my cup of tea..But yeah this guy is the real deal..In today's scene most artists don't have a creative bone in their body and seem to only add on to what others have done before them while guys like Omar delve into creative demensions giving us that much needed breathe of fresh air.

startled calf's 'you cant change me'.....el paso at the time was thriving for great music and this boy,among other e.p.t youths,prevailed.good ol' back yard parties and shows at the campus queen.....ahh,the good ol' days.

Omar A. is the F!@#ing man... seriously he is an extremely accomplished guitarist and I can confidently say that I as a musician would love to emulate his origional and alturistic sound if it didn't sacrifice origionality . If one is truly looking for a revival of origionality and wishes to support a music revolution we should encourage and promote bands such as the Mars Volta and other Omar projecs. GET IN TO LOCAL SCENES...SUP P O R T THE LIBORATORS OF MENTALITY also check out heskaji thier gu

7 years ago

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raethe

Omar is my hero. He consistently writes great music with a distinct sound to his playing...